Leadership In Law Podcast

S03E110 Building a Successful Estate Planning Firm with Anna Pelligra

• Marilyn Jenkins • Season 3 • Episode 110

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We sit down with Anna, a trusts and estates attorney who launched her own firm after processing thousands of estate plans during COVID, to unpack a growth playbook built on education, community, and fearless outreach. Her story shows how to convert hands-on experience into a practice that actually scales, without sacrificing empathy or client care.

Anna explains how early exposure to planning, administration, and litigation gave her the confidence to go solo in 2024. From there, she flips the typical marketing script. Instead of chasing every digital trend, she doubled down on local print ads in a beach town where older residents still read the paper, and it worked. She pairs that with small group networking and hosts laid-back, high-value events at a brewery that spark real referrals between advisors, accountants, and attorneys. The goal isn’t to collect business cards; it’s to create a trusted web that benefits everyone in the room.

We also dig into the operations side: managing a solo workload, documenting standard operating procedures, and choosing the first role to hire (start with an admin who frees your time). Anna talks about writing goals, tracking “champagne moments,” and relying on a business coaching board to provide perspective you can’t get alone. And because estate planning is education-heavy, she uses seminars and clear website resources to teach fundamentals like wills, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives, building trust before the engagement even starts.

Reach Anna here:
https://www.acp-law.com
https://www.instagram.com/acp_law/?hl=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-c-pelligra-esq-1b55858a/

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SPEAKER_00:

Your ultimate podcast for navigating the advertising world of law for ownership. In this chapter 12, we talk to you into the critical topics that matter most to you. From a looking expositive world to building a private team. We can help you with successful firm leaders and industry experts. Whether you're a technical or just starting your journey as a law firm owner. The Leadership and Law Podcast is there to equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to build a successful and fulfilling legal practice.

SPEAKER_02:

Anna established ACP Law after years of dedicated focus in the field of wills, trusts, and estates. Anna earned her bachelor's size degree in business administration at Wynder University following a jurisdoctorate from Villanova University, Charles Widger School of Law. She began her legal career at Boutique Trust and Estate Firms in Melmont and Morris Counties, specializing in drafting a wide range of estate planning documents. Recognizing that planning for the future can be both complex and emotional, Anna approaches each situation with compassion, sensitivity, and a deep understanding of the law. Her commitment is to guide clients through the intricacies of estate planning with personalized attention to care. I'm excited to have you here, Anna. Welcome. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. Can you tell us a little bit about how you got here, your leadership journey?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure, of course. So I have a little bit of a different track that I didn't think I was going to end up in the trust and estates world. I actually thought I was going to be in the sports law world, either back office or being an agent. But I actually graduated during COVID. So the future of sports was really an unknown space at that time. And I didn't feel like that was the correct job security that I should be looking for right out of law school. So I actually fell into the trust and estates field. I worked at a very small firm, had a personal connection with the attorney, which was an absolutely fabulous experience as my first job. I did probably 2,000 estate plans in two years because everyone's death was top of mind during COVID. So that really led me to help a lot of people during that time. We did see a lot of deaths as well, but it was a great hands-on experience. And I really felt like this was the type of law that I was cut out for. I was only doing estate planning at my first firm. So I really wanted to be able to help clients on the death side of things, so estate administration. So I moved to a different firm. I got a lot of experience on both the planning side, the administration side, and the litigation side. So after that firm, I felt like I had a well-rounded experience and thought that I might as well try this on my own. So I went out on my own in 2024. So far it's been about a year. And I'm very happy that I made that choice. I feel like I've helped a lot of clients throughout this first year. And I look forward to growing my team and building on what I've already started to build.

SPEAKER_02:

That's fantastic. You had so much experience in just two years. That is crazy.

SPEAKER_01:

Definitely. And it did take me five years to create my own firm. So it was a little bit of different experience throughout all of those five years, but I couldn't be happier of where I ended up. And I'm very happy with this experience so far.

SPEAKER_02:

It's awesome. And so much experience also helps you get better clients because they know that you've been there done that.

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly. And I find that specific clients that I had in the past, obviously just generalizations of this is what happened. This is how I can relate it to something that I've gone through with a different client. And I find that the current clients really enjoy that experience and relatability.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. Let's talk a little bit about we talked earlier when we were speaking about networking and that sort of thing. How did you get your name out there more? And how much, what type of networking are you doing?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure. My mom always says that even as a child, I would just talk to random people and just tell them about myself. So it's almost like I'm it's ingrained in me. Um, so I don't find it hard to go to a networking event, talk to people about what I do. But I definitely learned that within the last two years of my career. I realized I'm not just an attorney, but if I want to also be a businesswoman, I have to get my name out there, talk to as many people as possible. Even the Uber driver, you never know. Everyone's gonna die and have to pay taxes. So I always say anyone could be my client. So I might as well talk about that in my professional life and also my personal life. But I feel like people really enjoy the fact that I am open to talking about it. I'll answer random questions. If I see someone at dinner, um, I always just try to be as helpful as possible because I think with trust and estate planning, it is very much educational based. So I always treat every client meeting almost a small mini session of decedents class in law school. I try to educate people whether they are a client, going to become a client, or just someone in the professional realm. So really just talking is what I do for most of my days.

SPEAKER_02:

I love that. It's the whole control is what you're building on, just by getting people to know who you are. And do you do, I know, so you do your local chambers of commerce. Correct. And what are the kind of things are you doing to get to network and meet the community?

SPEAKER_01:

Definitely. I do a lot of like small group networking events. So we'll meet either once a week, once a month. But there I find you really get to know the people that are in that group and build relationships so that they feel comfortable sending you clients when they can't handle creating an estate plan. I also do a lot of advertising, which I do understand to make money, you have to put money into it. So this first year I've really tried a lot of different avenues of advertising. And one that I've found that has brought me the most clients would be the newspaper. So the local newspaper is highly regarded in our local little beach area here. And I'm so happy that I took the step, bought an ad, and I've been running it since then because it's brought so many good clients and people that are locals and want to deal with someone that is local.

SPEAKER_02:

I love that. And if you have any, like you might be in a resort area in the beach area, sometimes they'll have local magazines. And years ago, what we used to do with another company is remnant space. A magazine has to have certain numbers of pages. They can't have an empty space, so the price goes way down on remnant space. If it's a timely feature, it might be something that'd be a good idea to jump into as well. But I love that you're doing print advertising. You don't see a lot of people doing that right now. Definitely.

SPEAKER_01:

And I would say I do deal with a lot of elderly clients, and they are the ones that are reading the newspaper. They care about what the local community has to say. And if you're in the newspaper, you're clearly you care about the local community.

SPEAKER_02:

So I agree. I love that. And just get right in front of the people who are your perfect clients. Exactly. Exactly. So you held your own networking event. Tell us about that because you had a surprising number of people show up.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, definitely. I held my first networking event. There were 52 people, and I really do that so that I can provide value to my other connections. So obviously, in the first year of practice, it's a little bit harder for me to send referrals out. I don't have the giant client base that some attorneys do. So I'm building my book of business. But the networking event, I find that maybe you have an advisor that needs an accountant. Okay, I have two trusted advisor and accountant in the room. Now they can further connect, have a cocktail, and talk about what they do in life. And I've actually had a lot of positive experience. Um, people have emailed me saying, Oh, thank goodness I met John Smith. John Smith has helped me with so many matters. I'm so happy that you have the event. So I always try to provide value to my entire network. Even if it doesn't bring me business, I still feel better about connecting people and having a trusted kind of web of people that I can refer to, that my clients can refer to, and that my professional network can also refer to.

SPEAKER_02:

I love that. So you're building everyone's Rolodex, if you guys remember what that is. How would you go about that? It's like a fabulous idea, especially in a smaller community, to get more known and know more people. How did you come up with that idea and what did you do to make it happen?

SPEAKER_01:

Definitely. I always say if I wasn't an estate planner, I probably would have been an event planner. I always like to plan events for my friend group. I book the vacations. I just like to get everyone together. So I always thought it's working in my personal life. Why don't I try it on the business side of things? And I don't, I like the creative aspects of where are we gonna have it? What food are we gonna have? Who's gonna be invited? How do we get the people to enjoy the event rather than going to a stiff networking event where you just hand out business cards and hope for the best? And then there's always a common connection in the room, which would be me. And it's a little bit easier to say, oh, how do you know Anna? It's like a good conversation starter.

SPEAKER_02:

I love that. And did you get were these people from various networking groups and that you brought all together into one room?

SPEAKER_01:

Networking groups, personal life, anyone that I've just randomly met. I really just figure if I like you, I would like to do business with you. And I think that my network would also like to do business with you.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, that's that was so great. I don't know those soaking with anyone that's done their own, any attorneys done their own networking mint. That's so great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And we also I'm actually I was gonna say I'm also planning another one for next week, actually. So I'm doing a year anniversary party because I'm coming up on the year anniversary, and I figured everyone gets gift baskets and during the holidays as a thank you. How can I make it a little bit different and provide more value that brings them business rather than a box of chocolates? I'm hosting a huge networking event next week. It'll be held at a brewery, and I'm inviting 120 people. So I have 115 spots filled so far. And I find that it's something different in the fall to get out there, socialize, make it a little bit fun, but also make good business connections as well.

SPEAKER_02:

119 out of 120 already committed. Go girl.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

That's awesome. Thank you. And a brewery, that's a great place to do it. It lowers the shoulders and lowers the guard a little bit and lets people get the socializing and having conversations. Exactly. I'm looking back to we talk about what you overcome or what bonuses that you've come across in your journey, especially in the journey with your own firm. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

SPEAKER_01:

So currently I'm doing everything. So I'm a solo practitioner. That has been a little bit of a struggle, but I also find that it's beneficial because now when I'm gonna hopefully hire someone in 2026, and when I hire someone, now I can tell them exactly how the process works because I've been doing it for a year. So I think the challenge there is that there's only 24 hours in a day when there's only one of them made. So that's definitely been a little bit hard. And I actually grew up swimming. So time management was always drilled into me. You have practice at this time, you have this homework, you have to go to school. So I always time out my days correctly so that I get everything done. I don't have to email clients and say, sorry, I didn't get to this yet. I really try to be on top, stick to my deadlines, and really just book out my time accordingly. Sometimes my personal life lacks in that aspect, but I'd rather in the first year have my reputation of the firm be higher than my personal life for this time.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, longer term vision. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01:

And then you asked about bonuses. I would say the big bonus that I find is helping people. So I did go to Catholic school for 13 years. So philanthropy is just in my blood, I would say, at this time, it was really drilled into me. So I always want to put my head on the pillow at night, knowing that I actually helped someone or gave them peace of mind. And I think so far I've had very happy clients. And when they leave, they were like, that's so easy. I can't believe I waited so long to do this. And I'm like, thank you. That's like the best compliment I could receive.

SPEAKER_02:

I love that. Now I love that yeah, the doing good is amazing. When you talk about doing everything yourself, are you also actively creating your processes in writing or in video or something so that you can easily hand that off to someone so you don't have to then spend months training?

SPEAKER_01:

I'm in the process of doing that because I know that it's great, which is okay. You really need to put pen to paper. So that's what the end of the year, that's what I'm gonna try to do. And at my prior firms, we also had a lot of processes written down. That way you didn't have to ask the partner, wait, how do I save this? What do I name the document? So I definitely need to put pen to paper. So thank you for now recording this. So I have to do it.

SPEAKER_02:

And a tool you might want to look at is scribed. I don't know if you've looked at that. It yes, I've I've not used it. I played with it a little bit, but then we already had a lot of SOPs. But I do know people who use it and say it is a game changer to getting things done so quickly.

SPEAKER_01:

Definitely. Now it's on my list, so I need to sign up for this.

SPEAKER_02:

Nice, nice. Yeah. So what other kinds of things, if someone's looking at the thought of starting their own firm? So you said after you had so much experience in two years, and then it took another like five years for you to do your own firm. What were you actively thinking? And this may be, I don't know that you've been asked, what were you actively thinking when you knew you wanted to have your own firm and you had these years you were building? What were you what were your thoughts and plans there?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure. So my dad actually, he started his own practice, but he was a doctor, and he always pushed me to go out on my own. And he was like, why not just do it right out of law school? And I said, opening a human body and dealing with different clients, it's very different. I can't just, I won't know exactly how to address every single situation. So I felt like I needed to work under partners who had seen every possible scenario that came into play, how it played out, whether that be ended up in litigation or ended up the person died and then the beneficiaries weren't happy. So I really just wanted to be a sponge for as long as possible until I felt comfortable enough to relate my experience to any kind of client that would come through the door.

SPEAKER_02:

I love that. And so basically you used the partners as mentors to help make sure that you had all everything together and you could perform a really good service. Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01:

And I always try to say ask as many questions as possible. I feel like I was one of the associates that probably asked the most questions and maybe I came off annoying, but I would rather ask those questions because now that I'm on my own, I don't have a partner to ask those questions to. Granted, I still have a network that I can run ideas past or just ask for clarifications, which has been great. But again, if I didn't work at those other firms, I would not have those mentors or other attorneys to reach out to and say, hey, what do we think about this? If I drafted the document this way, do you think it would work? So it's always good to have a good team around you where you can just run general ideas past them to best serve your clients.

SPEAKER_02:

Agreed. Yeah, that's great. And having partners, I know that when it comes to attorneys, some will hire coaches, but a lot the partners are in that position to be the mentor and be able to learn and teach what they're doing. So they and it's it's attitude and everything as well. It sounds like you had a bit of a business from your dad. He's both doing the work and on the business. So you had a saw a lot of that as a kid as well.

SPEAKER_01:

Definitely. And so the law school, I actually had someone I could reach out to. He was his about two years before me. So as soon as I felt comfortable enough to start my own firm or even contemplate going out on my own, I gave him a call and he was basically like, it's not as hard as you think it is. You need to get your malpractice insurance. You have to set up your LLC, but it's not as big of a hurdle as some people think. And having I also had a business undergrad degree. So the marketing classes really helped, the accounting classes helped. And without that business undergrad degree, I'm not sure that I would have felt as comfortable on the business side of things. But that being said, I also did sign up for business owner coaching. So it's like a board where you go and you bring different topics or challenges that you come that you face every day. And you ask other business owners, even if they're not attorneys, running a business is running a business. So there are some rules and regulations behind being an attorney, but you can still say, How did you hire your first employee? How did that process look for you? What did you learn? What mishaps did you run into so that I don't have to trial and error everything? So it's been great having that as a resource as well and putting your goals on paper as well. So I I never wrote down any of my goals before, but this year I did. And I think now I'm crushing my goals. And I don't think if I didn't write them down, would I feel accomplished? Would I have been hitting those numbers? So I really think the business coaching aspect has helped a ton.

SPEAKER_02:

Excellent. Yeah, I think having a coach, it's like my coach actually says you can't see the full picture if you're in the frame. So it and it makes sense because you don't see everything you need to see. Now you've you're hitting your goals, you wrote your goals down. Do you have a wins journal that you keep just to remind yourself on those kind of funky days that you know what? I've done all this, it's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, yes, I do. And you track your progress also. They give you forms and an online database. They call them actually champagne moments. So I hit my monthly goal for three months in a row. So that's something you're celebrated for that because usually it's just me talking to myself in my head. And this way you get valid data from other people around you as well, which I find people usually like to stick on the negatives. But this makes me think about the positives, look back on the year that I had and said, oh wow, like I actually did it. I'm surprised, but I'm so like proud of myself.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, I think it's the keeping a wins journal, at least celebrating your wins and when you're getting close to reaching your goals, it teaches our brain to see the good in things, focusing on what didn't work out last week. Because we all have bad days and bad weeks, but keeping reminding ourselves what's been working is amazing. It's amazing. So, what are your plans for? So you're coming up on your one-year anniversary, you're looking at hiring your first team member. Who is that gonna be? What position we're back?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure. Definitely. I really need somewhat of an admin assistant. So someone that can handle my scheduling, handle uh pushing paper, scanning, stapling, handling clients if I'm in a meeting with a client and can't answer the phone. So really want to start like on minor tasks and then build from there. Eventually, I would love to hire other attorneys as well. Um, so I actually had a summer intern this summer. She wants to go to law school. And I figured, why don't give her the opportunity now? What if she hates the legal career and doesn't want to go into this? And that's exactly what happened to me in high school. I actually had the opportunity to work for a divorce attorney. It was another woman. I thought that was fabulous to see like her build her practice, how she deals with clients. And I found out that law school is something that I do want to pursue. And without that experience, I don't know where I would have been today. And it was just great to get that under more experience and figure out that divorce law is definitely not something I want to do.

SPEAKER_02:

I think that's a unique person that takes that one on. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I agree.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. With your with your estate planning, and you said it, you do feel like you're a big education. Are you doing a lot of, or are you what type of education are you doing for online? Now, most of your people are older, but you also have that sandwich generation that are getting ready to take care of their parents. Are you doing any videos, any webinar type things to educate yet?

SPEAKER_01:

Um, I haven't done any webinars other than your classic CLE, your continuing legal education type webinars, but I have done in-person seminars actually. So I'll either work with an advisor or I'll do it myself. And I always find that I can blanket a lot of the items, like everyone should have a last will and testament, everyone should have a financial power of attorney. But then you need to then meet with those people in the room to deal with their specific avenues. But it's really, I think the hardest hurdle in trusting the states is telling people it is important, kind of myth busting the things that people see on the internet, making them feel that it's an easy process. I try to be open and more approachable so that people feel comfortable because you are dealing with all of their assets that they've worked for during their life, their loved ones. And I also find that being on the younger side is helpful because most of my clients I will most likely still be practicing for the next 30 plus years. So I'll be able to kind of transition from the parents plan to the children. And people really find value in that. They don't have to worry about their attorney retiring or passing away. So that has been a huge success for me. And that's also why I'm hosting the interns, because I want to be able to have a succession plan and know that my clients will be in good hands. God forbid I pass or I want to retire.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, I love that thinking ahead. I mean, you've just, it sounds like you just have your ducks in a row.

SPEAKER_01:

I try. I like to be organized.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, that's just an inspiration. If you were talking with someone that was literally opened their firm this year and we're struggling on the business side, not the marketing side or the lawing side, but on the business side, what are the top just a few things that you would say get this in place? It just takes weight off your shoulders.

SPEAKER_01:

Definitely. I would say business coach. I think without the business coach, you don't know what you don't know. So I always, even in the legal field, I don't know what I don't know. So that's why you use resources. I'm sure there's a lot of good videos as well. Business 101. How do you open a business? How do you set up an LLC? It's really thank God we have the internet because there are so many resources for us. But I just find success having one person that you go to with your questions or that you can run ideas past because that person is coached for a reason. But I also think that I like that avenue better because I grew up swimming through college. So I always had a coach. I always had someone trying to help me get better. And I feel like I am coachable because of my swimming experience.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, I agree. And yeah, you can learn a lot from videos, but having someone that sits there and hears they and then they know all about you and they hear the questions. And you always want to coach or mentor that's where you want to be or beyond. So I love that. So get your get a business coach and get started and do it right to start with, and then dive in.

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly. Ask the questions. I'm never afraid to ask questions. And I said that to my intern as well. I said, and no questions are dumb. That's like a typical quote. But I really think like the better questions you ask or the more questions you ask leads you to success.

SPEAKER_02:

I agree. Not being afraid to ask questions. I think a question not answered it, not asked is the one that's the dumb question. I agree. You need to move forward. Exactly. Yeah, this has been amazing. I just, if anybody that's listening wants to connect with you, ask questions, get a will or estate planning done, where can they connect with you?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure. I have Instagram, so it's acp.law. I have LinkedIn. I always look at my LinkedIn messages. You could email me. All of that information can be found at my website too. It's www.aclaw.com. And that's usually also a good resource I have. What is a will? What is a financial power of attorney? What is a living well healthcare directive? So that's also a good starting point to say, what does estate planning even consist of? Do I need one? And my answer is when people ask me, do I need a will? Do I need a financial power of attorney? I always say, Are you going to die? Are you going to have to pay taxes? Then yes, you need one.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh my gosh. I love that. So you're using your website to really bet bring more value before people book a time with you. I love it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, I tried.

SPEAKER_02:

I love it. I just I'm thrilled to see where you are after only a year in your own farm, and I'm excited to see where you can go. This is and hey, good luck with that uh that networking event. I'm excited you've already got 119 out of 120 tickets sold. Thank you. Definitely.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm excited.

SPEAKER_02:

Great. Thank you so much for being here. This has been really amazing. And I hope the listeners enjoyed this conversation.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you. And I appreciate the opportunity.

SPEAKER_02:

Thanks for joining me today for this episode. As we wrap up, I'd love for you to do two things. First, subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss an episode. And if you find value here, I'd love it if you would rate it and review it. That really does make a difference in helping other people to discover this podcast. Second, you can connect with me on LinkedIn to keep up with what I'm currently learning and thinking about. And if you're ready to take the next step with a digital strategist to help you grow your law firm, I'd be honored to help you. Just go to Law MarketingZone.com to book a call with me. Stay tuned for our next episode next week. Until then, as always, thanks for listening to Leadership in Law Podcast, and be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss the next episode.

SPEAKER_00:

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Leadership in Law Podcast. Remember, you're not alone on this journey. There's a whole community of law firm owners out there facing similar challenges and striving for the same test. Head over to our website at lawmarketingstone.com. From there, connect with other websites, access valuable resources, and stay up to date on the latest episode. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Until next time, keep working with vision and keep growing your firm.

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Marilyn Jenkins

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